A tribute to Steve Irwin and his love for surfing forms part of the exhibition being held at the Events Centre in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast - organisers hope the display will pave the way for a permanent surf museum for the region. (:Photo supplied)

The exhibition features unique surfboards and surfing memorabilia that have shaped the way surfing has evolved on the Sunshine Coast and celebrates the rich history of the sport in the region.

Surfing the Decades exhibition shares stories of past legends through to the young surfers of today, with all items on show being collected from the public.

Check it out at the Caloundra Events Centre until February 5, 2014.

Display Coordinator Don Smith says scouting many homes across the coast for memorabilia revealed much about the surf culture on the Sunshine Coast.

"When the call went out for display items, surfers came out of the waves and woodwork with offerings of boards, stories and classic items that have been a precious part of their lives.

"The Sunshine Coast has a community of collectors that have held on to their proud past and are keen to showcase and share their bounty," he says.

The exhibition includes 90 surfboards, surf films, displays on surf legends, and tributes to local legends Pa and Ma Bendall and keen surfer Steve Irwin.

Surfing great Gerry Lopez

Don says some of the boards include the original wooden planks, twin fins, swallow tails, retro and those of current champions that "map the evolution of size, style and shape of boards as well as the stories that go with them".

He says one that stands out from the rest is a 40-year-old board that was ridden by Gerry Lopez - a revered surfer from Hawaii.

"It's a wonderful board actually," says Don excitedly, "It was suppose to have been ridden by Gerry in the first Ma and Pa Bendall competition in 1974. There are film clips of him surfing it, so they do know that it is the right board."

Tribute to Steve Irwin

Don says there is also a "very fitting" display wall for keen surfer Steve Irwin.

"We got some wonderful Steve Irwin boards and there's a display of Steve surfing at his favourite surf breaks.

"All of his mates have come out of the woodwork to honour him. One of the boys brought a picture of him surfing at Swains Reef and what's come out of it is the sheer love for old Steve and it was tragic what happened," says Don.

Surfing young guns on show

Recent surfers are also celebrated throughout the exhibition.

"We haven't forgotten modern surfing ...we've honoured the young guns from this area as well as the old, there's boards from Julian Wilson and Kai Hing and more.

" ... there are 90 boards all up, but some of the greatest ones are obviously all the old cord surfboards.

"There's one board that was shaped by surf industry pioneer Bob McTavish. Each board has a story and they've all come from between Maroochydore and Caloundra.

"We've just about got a board by every board shaper from this region," says Don.

Pa and Ma Bendall Surf Contest

Don says the exhibition wouldn't be complete without paying tribute to Pa and Ma Bendall.

In 1974 the inaugural Pa Bendall Memorial Contest was organised as a mark of respect for the Charles Ben (Pa) Bendall. Pa is the grandad of surfing in Queensland. He and his wife Marjory (Ma) settled in Caloundra in the 1950's. There were only a handful of other surfers living locally at the time, and Ma and Pa became the mother and father of surfing on the Sunshine Coast.

"Ma was 75 when she finally stopped surfing and Pa died at 63, so Ma and Pa Bendall, they were surfing legends and part of the display is in respect to them as well," says Don.

Surf museum for the coast

The exhibition has added to the discussions for a permanent surf museum on the Sunshine Coast.

"Well that's all part of our agenda," says Don, "that's why we've documented most of it. We've taken photocopies and we've asked people to bring all the stuff out of their wardrobes because it's no good in there, its better being out and to let everyone look at it."

Don says it's time the Sunshine Coast had its own surfing museum.

"It's surprising, the dust has been taken off some of the stuff ...a lot of people have lent items to us but I understand from a lot of people that if we had a museum a lot of people would be happy to donate these items to us."

He says surfing gets into people's blood.

"I just started up surfing again... and you start seeing that culture and it's just marvellous. You go out into the waves and it's just a wonderful feeling and everyone looks after you."

Surfing the Decades will be on display at the Caloundra Events Centre until February 5, 2014. All proceeds raised by the gold coin entry fee to the Surfing the Decades exhibition will be donated to the Disabled Surfers Association on the Sunshine Coast.